jkOnTheRun

Six-figures to minimum wage: a year later

With this tweet a year ago today, I left behind my 15-year, corporate Information Technology career. I also left a chunky paycheck, hence the pithy post title, but I seriously wouldn't change a thing. This year has been one of the most enjoyable in my working life. This has been an interesting "leap of faith". Many of you expressed support and well wishes when I finally came out of the closet and announced myself as a full-time blogger. For that kindness and the many supportive remarks over the past year, I sincerely thank you.

There's also no way I could have taken this path without Barb's support. She helped me devise a two-year plan so I could make this attempt and she's shouldering more of our financial burden as I find my way. When we both had steady paychecks, we split the home expenses 50-50, but it's been more like 70-30 this past year. I've operated in the red each and every month, but slowly and surely the amount of red is decreasing. Since so many people have asked me privately, I should point out that I funded this attempt on my own. In essence, I "bet on myself", by taking some funds from retirement and channeling them into my business account. If it doesn't pan out, I have other retirement vehicles and of course, it will be back to the job pool. I'm hoping of course, that doesn't happen.

Thanks again to all of you, because without the readers and the conversation here, I wouldn't have a personal anniversary to celebrate today. As I've said to a number of folks via e-mail: without the readers, my writing has no purpose; it's just a bunch of words at that point. My sincere gratitude goes out to you all! Thanks too to James for allowing me to participate with him on a topic that we're very passionate about.

Aside from the humbling feeling knowing that I get to be a small part of so many people's lives, I hope you can find some strength, hope and resolve to take risks in your own life. Don't wait around and let life happen to you: go live it!

Programming note

I spent my morning working in Starbucks, but have been off the clock all day after that. Unfortunately, my father was let go from his state employment position and I've attempted some damage control with him at his home. Luckily, he's just nine miles away. I normally try to find worthwhile mobile tech items to write about all day long as this is my full-time vocation. Guess that makes you folks my bosses? Oy!

Regardless, I'm glad I had my UMPC and EV-DO card with me as my father doesn't have Internet service in his home. We actually just moved him to the house in February, where he lives alone. I'd been harping on him to get some web service, but it didn't happen. Since he has no access to his work e-mail, which was his only e-mail address, we were able to quickly set him up with a Gmail account. Thanks to some phone calls and networking, his first e-mail is already in with a potential job opportunity. If you're a person of prayer and can spare one for him, I'd personally appreciate it. In any case, he's working on the list of "to-do's" that we came up with and I'm back on the clock. I'll make up the time to you, so please don't dock my vacation time, 'k? Thanks. :)

To those who let us do what we do- we thank you!

One thing is sure in this life, running a web site like jkOnTheRun takes an inordinate amount of time.  This is time that is often taken from our families and without their support and understanding Kevin and I couldn't do what we do, certainly not as much as we do it.  I thank my wife Sheri for understanding that doing this is a work of love for me, she realizes that writing about mobile tech is my passion and that I derive a great deal of enjoyment from doing it.  I can often be found as I am right now, sitting in my office in Mobile Tech Manor doing what I love doing and Sheri you're the best for putting up with that.  Thank you babe for letting me do what I enjoy even at a cost of spending a lot of time doing it.

Barbara, I thank you too for letting Kevin play with jkOnTheRun, sure it's not really playing you know as well as anyone it's a lot of work.  I thank you for being understanding about all the time that Kevin is spending writing about all of this geek stuff.  I don't have to tell you what a great guy Kevin is but you should realize you're a great person for letting him follow his dream.  Thank you for putting up with all of this, it means a lot to me and especially to all of our great readers who follow Kevin's writing faithfully.  We all thank you for being a great person and for supporting what Kevin does.

Without Sheri and Barbara we couldn't do what we do here so join me in showing appreciation for Kevin and my better halves for supporting us through all of this.  They not only make it possible for us to do this but make it a great endeavor due to their support.

Here's Beau!

As promised here's a pic of my brand new grandson, Beau Douglas!  What a head of hair on that boy.  :)

Special delivery has arrived!

I am very happy to report that a special delivery arrived this evening!  Welcome to the world my second grandson, Bo Douglas Hemmingson, born this evening in South Dakota.  Mother Misty and father Kurt are doing well as is young Bo who weighed in at 7 pounds 12 ounces!  I know I'm too young to be a grandfather twice over but I am ecstatic to greet Bo into the family!  Can you tell how wide my smile is?  Photo to come when I get one.

Send warm thoughts

I've been offline this morning to support a friend and reader of the site. Doug follows our mobile tech adventures here and has sadly lost his father unexpectedly. Barb and I are waiting for the procession to the cemetery but I thought to ask you, our community, to pass a warm wish for Doug on this sad day. I know he'll appreciate your warm thoughts later on today when he gets home.

He's gettin' old... er, I mean: Happy Birthday James!

OK, he might not be getting his present on time... c'mon Fujitsu, don't you have his birthday in Plaxo, Outlook or something?!? Just because there's no gift from the FedEx man today doesn't mean we can't all wish James a Happy Birthday and many more years of mobile tech blogging. Happy Birthday dude! Oh and I hate to be the spokesperson for the group, but I'm guessing in another year or two it'll be time for a "more mature" looking avatar. Just kidding! ;)

Thank you for your support after my stroke

Looking for a technology writer? I'm right here.

I love technology, particularly mobile technology and the impact it can make on someone's work and lifestyle.  The productivity gains that can be garnered by fielding the proper mobile tech kit are huge and I love to write about that.  I also enjoy writing about industry trends, doing reviews of both hardware and software, and covering the hot topics of the day.  If you are a print or online publisher doesn't this sound like what you are looking for?

I particularly enjoy writing longer articles about these topics so I can examine them in greater depth and detail.  It's a different style of writing than I do here on jkOnTheRun and I'd like to do more of those types of articles.  I have been a consultant for a very long time which has kept my writing career a part-time endeavor and I'd like to change that.  I can only imagine how sweet it would be to write full-time, that would really be fulfilling for me.  Of course doing that requires some paying writing gigs since my family insists on eating regularly.

Doesn't this sound like something your company needs and in a hurry?  Ping me an email at jk AT jkontherun DOT com and let's get a discussion going about it.  You need it, I can do it and all we need is a go ahead so what are you waiting for?

A very special birthday

We don't write about purely personal things very often on jkOnTheRun because that's not what you come here for.  Some things are important enough to break that rule, and since family is very important to me I am doing so here.  Today would have been my father's 91st birthday had we not lost him three years ago and I want to acknowledge that we still miss him terribly.  The best way to demonstrate that is to run the tribute I wrote after his passing.  I hope he can see this from his final resting place.  We miss you Dad.

Goodbye to a great man

My father was one of those people who understood that to achieve greatness could only be done through maintaining strength of character in all that you do.  He instilled in his children the unerring credo that you must always do the right thing.  It doesn't matter if doing the right thing is difficult, or if doing the right thing is the popular thing to do.  What matters is you always stay true to your convictions, and your actions must be consistent with your beliefs.

My father was a very simple man.  Some people might say he was too simple in this world that is growing ever more complex.  But he understood that in everything there is a right way and a wrong way to do things and the only option is to do the right thing.  He once told me you build your reputation in the world by always taking the higher ground.  You build that reputation one positive action at a time and you are the only one who can tear that reputation down through your own actions.  Not your detractors, not your enemies, only you can tear your reputation down.  He once confided in me that he didn't understand why people didn't just treat others with respect and compassion.  He was continually confused by this fact so obvious to him but one that is often not followed by others.  It's a question I cannot answer, in fact I'm not sure there is an answer.

My father instilled in me a strong work ethic, for working as hard as you can is the only way to have no doubts about yourself at the end of the day.  He taught all his children to always help others, for some day we might need help ourselves and good deeds have a way of getting repaid when the time is right.  He taught us to be strong for those around us, but not to be afraid to bend when you have to.  He was a man that others knew they could depend on in their time of need.  He taught us that leading by example was the best way to be true to yourself, and to those around you. 

My father lived a hard life, but he took that in stride and did the best that he could with the cards he was dealt.  And in so doing, he taught us to do the same.  Don't cry about it, fix it was his philosophy, and it was a lesson hard learned, as important lessons often are.  He showed us that when you have troubles, the best course is often to set your own troubles aside and help those less fortunate than yourself.  Most importantly of all, he taught us that we are not the most important thing in the world.  Instead, the most important things were those around us.  He lived his life being there for the people that needed him, and those who knew and loved him will always thank him for that.

My father always led by example and to those of us fortunate enough to know him that example was a very good one.  He was not a man to get lost in the fluff of life, instead he believed you lay a solid foundation in the life that you have and then you build on that foundation until the structure is a good, strong structure.  You build your character one deed at a time until the structure defines the person behind it.  And then you open that structure up to your loved ones so that they might be protected by it too. 

My father was a great man.  He touched everyone around him in such a positive way.  He loved his family with a passion that was unquestioned, and he was proud of each of us in so many ways.  He is the reason that we have become the people we are today, and I thank him for that.  For I can think of no better thing in the world than to be the legacy of this man.  Thank you Dad for all that you've done.  Thank you Dad for showing us to always think of others.  Thank you Dad for all the examples you set for us.  And thank you Dad for being there for me when I needed you.  You are so missed but you live on in all those you have touched.

James Grady Kendrick

November 1, 1916 - November 21, 2004

               

My father was one of those people who understood that to achieve greatness could only be done through maintaining strength of character in all that you do.  He instilled in his children the unerring credo that you must always do the right thing.  It doesn't matter if doing the right thing is difficult, or if doing the right thing is the popular thing to do.  What matters is you always stay true to your convictions, and your actions must be consistent with your beliefs.

My father was a very simple man.  Some people might say he was too simple in this world that is growing ever more complex.  But he understood that in everything there is a right way and a wrong way to do things and the only option is to do the right thing.  He once told me you build your reputation in the world by always taking the higher ground.  You build that reputation one positive action at a time and you are the only one who can tear that reputation down through your own actions.  Not your detractors, not your enemies, only you can tear your reputation down.  He once confided in me that he didn't understand why people didn't just treat others with respect and compassion.  He was continually confused by this fact so obvious to him but one that is often not followed by others.  It's a question I cannot answer, in fact I'm not sure there is an answer.

My father instilled in me a strong work ethic, for working as hard as you can is the only way to have no doubts about yourself at the end of the day.  He taught all his children to always help others, for some day we might need help ourselves and good deeds have a way of getting repaid when the time is right.  He taught us to be strong for those around us, but not to be afraid to bend when you have to.  He was a man that others knew they could depend on in their time of need.  He taught us that leading by example was the best way to be true to yourself, and to those around you. 

My father lived a hard life, but he took that in stride and did the best that he could with the cards he was dealt.  And in so doing, he taught us to do the same.  Don't cry about it, fix it was his philosophy, and it was a lesson hard learned, as important lessons often are.  He showed us that when you have troubles, the best course is often to set your own troubles aside and help those less fortunate than yourself.  Most importantly of all, he taught us that we are not the most important thing in the world.  Instead, the most important things were those around us.  He lived his life being there for the people that needed him, and those who knew and loved him will always thank him for that.

My father always led by example and to those of us fortunate enough to know him that example was a very good one.  He was not a man to get lost in the fluff of life, instead he believed you lay a solid foundation in the life that you have and then you build on that foundation until the structure is a good, strong structure.  You build your character one deed at a time until the structure defines the person behind it.  And then you open that structure up to your loved ones so that they might be protected by it too. 

My father was a great man.  He touched everyone around him in such a positive way.  He loved his family with a passion that was unquestioned, and he was proud of each of us in so many ways.  He is the reason that we have become the people we are today, and I thank him for that.  For I can think of no better thing in the world than to be the legacy of this man.  Thank you Dad for all that you've done.  Thank you Dad for showing us to always think of others.  Thank you Dad for all the examples you set for us.  And thank you Dad for being there for me when I needed you.  You are so missed but you live on in all those you have touched.

James Grady Kendrick

November 1, 1916 - November 21, 2004

               

Mobile tech never sleeps

I hadn't looked at Google Trends in a while, so I just hopped over to see what time of day I actually read feeds so I can share good news with you. There's data at every hour of the day; probably due to a sleepless night every now and again. Yes, some people watch television when they can't sleep; I read RSS feeds. ;) I suppose I should stop staying up late and get up earlier too...talk about working 7 x 24!

Mid-life is influencing my mobile tech purchases

I've been mostly offline today due to my migration from Outlook 2003 to 2007; more on that later. While I had downtime in between .OST and .PST file movement, I realized I'm not getting any younger. Dare I say it: am I reaching that mid-life point and can expect the standard crisis? I think so because my mobile tech needs have changed. I used to crave run-time over performance, but the pendulum has swung back. I need power and speed in my mobile technology. Run-time can be extended but performance? Well, you typically need to buy that right from the beginning. Sure, you can tune up and tweak, but how far will it get you?

Yup, my needs are definitely changing and it's evident by the latest potential acquisition. What is that I'm considering? It's not what you think...in fact, I'd give every reader three guesses and I still think nobody would figure it out...

Adam Finley, I wish I had met you personally. Peace.

Just a quick off-topic post to pay respects to a peer in the blogosphere: Adam Finley. Although I didn't meet him personally, I knew Adam through blogging at AOL / Weblogs; he blogged over at TV Squad. He was hit by a bus while riding his bicycle, tragically ending life at an all-too-short 30 years. For the better part of two days, authorities were unable to identify Adam and ended up working with Apple to help determine his identity: with keys and his iPod in possession at the accident, Apple traced the iPod to Adam via the registered serial number.

Thank you for indulging me during this short post. Warm thoughts to Adam, his friends and family.

Sixth anniversary- from the heart

Long-time readers of jkOnTheRun probably get tired of seeing posts like this one today marking my sixth anniversary of open-heart surgery.  It seems like yesterday that I went through that life-changing ordeal and like I do every year I am linking to my personal chronicle of it.  If you haven't read "from the heart" you might find it interesting, if not just skip over it and there will be more mobile tech news to come.  Here's a brief excerpt of "from the heart".

"Mr. Kendrick, can you hear me? I'm Mrs. Reinhard, the patient care facilitator here at Methodist hospital. Are you comfortable? I'll be making sure your wife and family are OK while you're in surgery as you'll be there for a while. Do you want to tell me anything before they take you back?"

I have to think about that one. I'm so cold, it's so cold in here. How should I respond that won't conflict with my Southern upbringing. You must be stoic when confronted with the most terrifying thing in your entire life. Scared beyond words that you will never wake up. Scared that they won't be able to fix your problem. Scared that you'll never, ever see your beautiful wife and wonderful children again. Terrified that you'll be an invalid after the surgery.

"Thank you but I'm fine."

"You understand the procedure you're about to undergo, right Mr. Kendrick? Would you like to talk about it or ask me any questions?"

"No, I'm fine. Tell my wife that I love her and I'll see her shortly. She doesn't handle upsetting things very well."

"Well, OK, Mr. Kendrick. Don't you worry- Dr. Lawrie is one of the best surgeons in the world and you'll be just fine. I'll sit with your wife for a while and make sure she knows what's going on with your procedure. They'll be coming to take you into surgery in a few minutes. I'll see you in the recovery room." (What I didn't know then is that Dr. Lawrie worked for 20 years on the personal surgical team of Dr. DeBakey, the pioneer of cardiac surgery. Sometimes you just get lucky.)

As she walked away I hoped that Sheri would be OK. A single tear trickled involuntarily down my cheek. I suppose it was still there when the doctors and nurses started their work.

Continue reading from the heart.

Happy Fathers Day!

On this Fathers Day we wish all of you Dads out there a very happy day!  May you spend it with family and friends.  My father is no longer with us and I will spend this day reflecting on what he meant to me and the impact he had on my Life.

Will blog for food

Maybe the title should be "Will blog for coffee" since I've got the mobile office visiting a brand new Starbucks today; I'm at the Lansdale, PA coffeehouse testing the WiFi. Unlike James' recent experience, no salsa music here. I'd call it some type of world-beat music but I listen to Country and New Age, so what would I know? ;)

I suppose it's time to come clean as I've received a number of e-mails asking what I'm up to. Some recent reader comments asking about my mobile movement have elicited nothing but pithy responses from me, but I strongly believe in transparency, so let me explain the post title and get you all up to date.

Do you have a retreat?

Everybody needs a place to go for relaxing, perhaps with a good book, but mainly to get a way from it all for a short while.  It recharges the spirit and is good for you.  If you’re fortunate enough to have your retreat in your own home so much the better.  We are fortunate enough here at Mobile Tech Manor to have a long balcony outside the master bedroom.  We were at a loss what to do with it until recently.  My beautiful wife Sheri decided to do something about it while I was away in Seattle and she single-handedly turned it into an oasis of calm in our crazy bustling house. 

First engagement news on Twitter?

If it wasn't the very first, I'm sure it was among the first! Pardon the off-topic post, but I wanted to share some personal news that my Twitter friends already saw. I'm getting married! Actually, this news isn't really that off-topic: if it wasn't for Barb's never-ending support, I wouldn't be blogging or podcasting. She knows that my ultimate goal is to leave the full-time corporate world behind in favor of working on mobile tech writing, videos and podcasts. She's rarely complained about my daily grind of working a full-time job and blogging part-time (OK, full time on some days!). In fact, she used to participate in a podcast with me that actually got us featured on the 11pm news here in Philly (16 MB WMV file) almost two years ago.

I'm very lucky since she's an amazingly beautiful and intelligent person in her own right; what more could one ask for in a life partner? This will be a second marriage for each of us, so we may not be completely traditional. In fact, we started breaking tradition with a Palladium engagement ring (after the jump) since Barb has a degree in fashion design and has her own great sense of style. Instead of a solitaire diamond, we opted for something that fits her style every day: intricate design in the middle and diamond chips on the edges. Thanks for all of the warm wishes on Twitter and remember when you read a post by me here, you wouldn't be able to read it if I didn't have Barb's support.

Where the heck is JK?

You may have wondered where I was yesterday, I know Kevin sure must have.  Truth is my daughter, son-in-law and Grandbaby Grady arrived in Houston yesterday for a short visit and needless to say I have been enjoying the visit.  They live up north and I don’t get to see them very often, certainly not often enough, and I have to take advantage of the visits when they happen.  This visit made me realize something about the Internet, now we’re not restricted to just annoying friends and family by pulling out pics of the grandkids.  Now we can annoy thousands of people by doing the same thing:

What a face! 

On the road and away

Normally we keep all of the posts related directly or indirectly to mobile tech, but I wanted to pass along some personal info. I'll be on the road and mostly off-line today through the weekend. Unfortunately, Barbara's father passed about two weeks ago, so we're heading down to Florida morning. Her dad wishes to have his remains scattered out to sea and we'll be honoring that wish.

Of course, Sammy will be accompanying us as always, but I've already scouted the locations we'll be in; while on the East Coast of the Panhandle, we'll have EV-DO, but not while on the West Coast, which is where we'll be a majority of the time. I know I have some e-mail questions that deserve answers from some readers and I'll tackle them along the way as connectivity and time allow.

In the meantime, enjoy drooling over the newest UMPC from TabletKiosk, download the latest mobile tech podcast, and be sure to backup your valuable data. Most of all, take a few minutes out of your busy mobile lifestyle and sit down with your family. You don't even need to DO anything, just sit together in a quiet setting with no computer, TV, iPod or video games. Enjoy the moment and see what happens.

-kct

Grady Leland

-jk

Just call me Gramps!

At approximately 8:15 this evening my daughter Misty and her husband Kurt became the proud parents of a 9 lb., 3 oz. baby boy, as yet unnamed.  Mother and son are doing well tonight, father seems a bit overwhelmed by it all.    Gramps and Grandma (snicker) are doing well too, although Grandma thinks she’s way too young to be a Granny.  I don’t have a photo yet but will post one when I do.  I have to go sit in my rocker now.

Help me pimp my ITtoolbox blog- OnTheRun

A few days ago I mentioned a contest that ITtoolbox is running to recognize their top blogs in several categories. The nomination period is closed and I am honored to report that my OnTheRun blog at ITtoolbox has been nominated for three potential awards: Best Blog, Best New Blog, and Best Blog Entry. The blog entry nominated is an article that describes how to copy the music library on an iPod onto a new computer. I would appreciate votes from anyone who visits Ittoolbox and likes my blog. You can only vote once and they have a really simple point and click voting page set up. Full information can be found here. Thanks to everyone who nominated OnTheRun and to those who spread the word about the contest.

I’ve been tagged in the Four Things meme

Kevin Tofel has tagged me in the Four Things meme so here's my entry:

Four jobs I've had:

• Roofer (summer job as a teenager in Houston- permanently fried my brain)
• Ladies shoe salesman (best job I ever had as a teenager)
• Seismic Imaging consultant
• Writer

Four movies I can watch over and over:

• Batman
• Airplane (funniest movie ever made)
• Matrix
• Mission Impossible

Four TV shows I love to watch:

• American Idol
• Grey's Anatomy
• ER
• House

Four places I've been on vacation:

• Aruba
• Margerita Island
• Paris
• Las Vegas

Four favorite dishes:

• Chili
• General Tso chicken
• Anything Thai
• Barbecue

Four Five websites I visit daily:

• Kevin 2.0
• Celebrating Women
• Office Evolution
• tech.memeorandum
• Mobility Today

Four bloggers I'm tagging:

• Robert Scoble
• Kent Newsome
• David Ciccone
• Lora Heiny

Goodbye to an old friend

When we first saw you at the Animal Rescue Center it was evident you had already lived a very hard life. The volunteer told us your name was Bradlee and you had been rescued from an abusive situation. It was hard to imagine how anyone could be so cruel to such a sweet, gentle dog and over the next hour you settled in by my side as if it was meant to be. Your eyes spoke of the horrors you had endured but at the same time reflected the hope there was something better. I knew immediately you had to come home with us.

That decision proved to be a good one as you gradually realized your place in our family and came to understand that you were loved. Over the following years you never once showed any aggression to anyone, leading my wife to call you our "gentle giant". Always glad to see us, never asking for anything in return, it was always clear you were grateful for the easy life you found in our home. You handled the addition of a rambunctious puppy to the family with silence and grace, even when he constantly invaded your space and disrupted your routine. You helped us show the little dog the ropes and were always watchful that he wouldn't get in trouble. You insisted in sleeping just outside our bedroom at night, as if to offer your protection, even though the little dog would rest in our room. You were happy keeping us safe from the night. While you were very gentle with those you met you still would silently position yourself between myself and strangers who came to our home, until you were sure they were friends.

In the past few weeks we thought old age was catching up with you as we saw you slow down. As your health problems got worse very quickly we realized something else was likely the cause and when the vet showed us the X-rays of your lungs we knew we would not have you with us much longer. Yesterday the seizures started and you were in such pain we knew the time had come to do the hardest thing we could do. We could only rest with the knowledge that we were doing the right thing as you were suffering so much.

We miss you terribly gentle giant. The home seems emptier with you gone, but we know you are now at peace. Farewell old friend. Thank you for all the memories you have given us over the years. Rest in peace.

Happy Holidays from jkOnTheRun

Have a happy and safe holiday for those who observe one.   Best wishes from my family to yours.   Unplug, take some time to spend with your friends and family because gadgets are nice but they are not what is important.   Happy Holidays!

Happy Thanksgiving

On this day of thanks as celebrated in the US, it seems only fitting to share the things for which I am thankful.

1. My wife and family for making everything worthwhile
2. My friends, many whom I have never met in person
3. My clients, who make it possible to feed my family, and who keep giving me work because they don't know any better
4. My readers, who seem to like this blog and other things I write
5. My dogs, who worship the ground I walk on and who are good friends in their own way
6. A group of doctors and nurses who made it possible for me to be here doing the things I enjoy
7. Microsoft, for valuing the things I do and say, and for respecting my opinions even when different from theirs
8. My podcasting partners (Marc Orchant, Kevin Tofel, Dave Ciccone), for putting up with my improv with aplomb, and for being very good people
9. Mobile device OEMs, for providing lots of toys to play with
10. All of the authors who write the books I love to read, for having both the imagination and talent to keep me in awe of what they do
11. And most of all, I am thankful for Al Gore, for giving us the Internet that makes all of this possible

Have a safe and happy holiday and even if you live in an area that doesn't observe this holiday, take a moment to reflect on the things that you are thankful for.

Houston Astros- thanks for a great ride

Congratulations to the Chicago White Sox for their sweep of the Houston Astros in the World Series.  Even though the White Sox won all four games in the series I cannot remember a more exciting matchup, with all games very close to the end.  How close were the games?  The run differential across all four games was 6.  Wow.  To our Houston Astros, thanks for taking the fans along with you on a great ride through the season.  Never before has a team with such a bad record early in the season (15-30) pulled it together and made it to the playoffs, much less the World Series.  We know how much heart you have displayed through the entire season and we thank you for that.  The fans in Houston are proud of everything you have accomplished and look forward to next year.  Go Stros!

Heading to Chicago!

World Series bound, baby! 

Way to go, Astros!!

Astros clinch NL Pennant

How about those Astros!

Today is the 45th anniversary of the founding of the Houston Astros baseball team and it's only fitting that tonight they have the opportunity to do something they have never done in that long, long time.  With a 3 - 1 lead over the St. Louis Cardinals in the National League Championship Series a win in tonight's game can advance them to a berth in the World Series for the very first time.  I'm asking everyone if you are not a Cards fan or if you are not a Chicago White Sox fan who's afraid of the Astros please cheer the Astros on in tonight's game so we can make history!   

Maggie's on TV!

You may remember when I asked you to send a web card for Rob Bushway’s daughter Maggie, who is in the St. Louis Children’s Hospital having serious surgery.  The card solicitation has been so successful that not only did we cover the walls in Maggie’s room but out into the hallway too.  The local NBC affiliate came by yesterday and interviewed the Bushway family and once the video is posted you can view it here.  Rob is keeping us all informed via his blog so keep an eye on Maggie’s progress.  We’re all thinking of you Maggie (and family).  Here’s something especially for Maggie–

Best baseball game ever!

Today I watched the Houston Astros defeat the Atlanta Braves in an 18 inning duel that was simply the best baseball game I’ve ever seen.  This game had everything if you like heart-wrenching, gut checking baseball.  The Atlanta Braves took a 5 – 1 lead early on with a grand slam and added another run for “padding” a few innings later and took a 6 – 1 lead into the bottom of the 8th inning.  Lance Berkman hit a grand slam for the Astros in the 8th to bring the Astros within 1 with a 6 – 5 score.  After holding the Braves scoreless in the top of the 9th all looked hopeless with the Astros at bat, bottom of the 9th, and two outs.  Brad Ausmus came to the plate and blasted a solo home run to send the game into extra innings.  And what a duel it was for 9 more innings, a stretch that showed great pitching from so many pitchers on both sides I couldn’t count them all.  The Astros bullpen was totally empty so they asked the Rocket, legendary Roger Clemens to enter the game in the unlikely role of relief pitcher.  And that’s exactly what he did for 3 full innings, holding the Braves at bay like the true champion he is.  The game finally came to a glorious end when Chris Burke stepped to the plate and blasted a solo home run to give the Astros the victory and send them to the National League Championship series against St. Louis.

This game was not only incredible because my Astros were victorious, it also set many Major League records such as most innings in a post-season game, only game ever with two grand slams and for being longest post-season game ever lasting over 6 hours.  I have never seen a game where all the players gave everything they had and then some, leaving it all on the field in the quest for victory.  Houston played an amazing 22 players over the course of this game and had not one player left on the bench for relief pitching nor for pitch hitting.  Roger Clemens himself had to bat two times because they had no one to send in his place.  Absolutely incredible baseball.  We are proud of our Astros, can you tell?     

Send a get well card to Maggie

Fellow Tablet MVP Rob Bushway has a wonderful daughter named Maggie who is in the hospital having some pretty serious surgery due to brain cancer.  Maggie is a sweet and brave little girl who can use your help to get well.  The hospital in St. Louis has a program for patients on their web site where you can send Get Well ecards for Maggie and Dad Rob wants to cover the walls in her room with these cards so she can read them and have a constant reminder how many people are praying for her rapid recovery.  So far she has received over 200 cards but I know we can do better than that. 

I am asking everyone to go to the hospital’s web site and send a card to Maggie so we can get all those walls covered from floor to ceiling.  Maggie’s doctor is so impressed with the number of cards she’s received so far that he has promised to bring Maggie a special gift if all the walls are covered by Wednesday.  Please send a card and if you have a blog post this and ask your readers to do the same.  Let’s do all we can in our small way to brighten this special girl’s hospital stay.  Be sure and put “Cards for Maggie” somewhere in your blog post so Google will pick them all up.

All ecards should be sent to Maggie Bushway.  Rob is posting current status of Maggie’s condition and some photos from the hospital on Maggie’s web page.  Thank you.

Blogging the MVP Summit

I am having a blast at the MVP Summit in Redmond this week and have seen some really cool stuff.  The very best part of the Summit for me is finally getting a chance to meet so many people I have been talking to online and via email for so long, in some cases for years.  Here's a brief roll call of the folks I've met this trip:

Tablet PC MVPs:

• Dennis Rice
• Spencer Goad
• Linda Epstein
• Terri Stratton
• Trevor Claiborne
• First Family of the Tablet PC- Lora & Loren Heiny
• Chris Hassler
• Reed Rinn
• Fritz Switzer (OK, I met him in Miami earlier this year)
• WNewquay
• Dr. Neil Roodyn

I'm sure I've missed some so don't be upset- I've met so many people the past few days I can't remember everyone.

Mobile Devices MVPs:

• Mauricio Freitas
• Ed Hansberry
• Janak Parekh
• Don Sorcinelli
• Steven Hughes
• Eric Hicks
• Chris de Hererra
• Dwayne Lamb
• Dave Shier

I have also met many other folks from other technical competencies but my brain is too fried to recall them.  I can state with confidence that in every case each person I've met is either younger/ older and taller/ shorter than I pictured.  Two people have told me that I'm taller than they thought I'd be, and two other people have approached me while I was talking to someone else and introduced themselves.  They recognized my voice from the podcasts.  Cool.

Channel 9 guy does Tablets

Grainy cell phone photo of the Channel 9 guy doing the Tablet PC.

Blogging from the MVP Summit

Met up with a group of Mobile Devices MVPs at a Starbucks this morning.  It was great finally meeting Steven Hughes, Don Sorcinelli and Jack Cook in person.  They are much uglier in person than I thought they'd be.    Seriously, these are all great guys and we had a good but brief chat.  Steven let me play with his OQO, it's very tiny but cool, especially since he's installed the Tablet OS on it.  I did find the screen was too " squishy" for my tastes, but it's a nice little device.  He also let me play with his Creative Zen Personal Media Player which is very nice.  Video quality was very good and the interface is the best I've seen on a video player.  He showed me some other stuff I can't remember- he's like a magician as he just keeps pulling cool device one after another from his bottomless bag.  More later.

Hi, I'm Jeff

And I'm the latest guest author for jkOnTheRun.

The concise version: I'm a 30 year old guy that loves to code and is married with an eighteen month old baby girl who already has me wrapped around her finger. 

My technical background began in linux and the open source world but my recent experience is surrounded by Microsoft technologies.  I've got an unhealthy obsession with bleeding edge tech and a bad habit of disliking those things I covet.  I love technology but don't want to be bothered by it, I don't want to carry luggage with me, find me something that fits in my shirt pocket and satisfies my needs and _hopefully_ I'll be happy.  That's not to say I can't wait to get an X41T, I just won't be carrying it to dinner at the in laws.  I'm not very good with the autobiography, if you're dying to know something, ask.

I'm sure I'm not alone in wishing James, his family, and everyone in the wake of Hurricane Rita safe harbor through the coming days.

A special anniversary today

Today is September 6th, a day that doesn't mean that much to most people but one I celebrate every year as it is important to me.  Today is the fourth anniversary of my emergency open heart surgery that saved me even though at the time I didn't know I was in trouble until it was almost too late.  Every year on this day I reflect on all that has happened to me and my family since that fateful day, if only to assure myself I am taking advantage of the additional time with which I have been gifted.  I am sure that Bill Clinton is reflecting in a similar way as by happenstance today is the first anniversary of his bypass surgery.  If you are interested in my review of the past four years then continue on after the jump, otherwise enjoy the rest of your day.

New Orleans is just gone

Hurricane Katrina has completely destroyed New Orleans.  With the failure of two of the three levees that kept water at bay virtually all of New Orleans is under as much as 15 feet of water.  I just watched a news report that had a helicopter flying all over the city and it is just gone.  Nothing but water as far as the eye can see.  It’s just horrible.  While it’s fortunate that most residents of New Orleans were evacuated in time authorities are telling everyone it will be weeks before anyone will be allowed in to see what is left of their property.  From the video footage I just watched in horror there will be nothing left.  I feel for these people and am just horrified.  Please keep them in your thoughts.

My thoughts go out to those in the path of Katrina

My thoughts are with those in New Orleans and other cities in the path of Hurricane Katrina today.  May the impact be as light as possible and everyone have a safe outcome.  One of the most vivid and frightening memories from my childhood revolved around a hurricane that made a direct hit on the Houston area when I was quite young.  My father made the decision that our family would prepare the house and ride out the passage of Hurricane Carla when I was five years old, something he admitted immediately after the storm passed over us was a big mistake.  He had carefully covered all the windows with tape and plywood and while we were lucky our home suffered no appreciable damage those few hours we were huddling in the house were absolutely terrifying, and not just to me as young as I was at the time but also to my other sister and parents.  The noise– I can’t describe the noise the constant winds made ripping against our house.  It was so loud we couldn’t even speak to one another because we couldn’t hear over the wind.  And the rain.  It sounded like our house was being pelted with bullets the rain hit so hard and so relentlessly.  My entire family was absolutely terrified the entire time.

After what felt like an eternity the storm finally subsided and I tried to get my parents to let me go outside and see what happened but they wisely said no because they knew what I didn’t, the eye of the storm was over us and it would soon begin anew.  And it did with a vengeance and it was just like before.  What made the storm even more scary to me was the inability to see what was happening due to having all the windows boarded up.  I’ll never forget that experience as long as I live.  When my father judged the storm had passed us by and we tentatively went outside to assess the damage we were glad to get out of the enclosed house but scared what we would find.  Our street was flooded which was enjoyed by all the kids but my parents were watching it warily out of fear it would rise up far enough to get into the house.  It didn’t but the aftermath of the storm seared mental images I can’t escape even today.

We had a big pine tree in the front yard and every tree in the yard looked like a porcupine with brown pine needles embedded in every one of them, sticking out parallel to the ground.  Debris had been blown everywhere and we found more than a few dead squirrels that had been thrown who knows how far.  The single most frightening thing we saw that day was the VW bus in the driveway of our neighbors across the street.  It was sitting in their driveway exactly like it was parked and seemed to be totally unaffected by the monstrous storm.  Upon closer inspection (the neighbors were the smart ones and fled) we saw a trash can sitting in the back seat, standing up as if put there deliberately.  You remember those old solid metal gray trash cans that were quite heavy and sturdy.  As we approached the bus I was asking my dad why they had put the trash can in the bus, that didn’t make sense even to a five year old.  My dad looked at the roof of the bus (he was almost six feet tall) and silently lifted me up on his shoulders so I could see the roof.  There was a perfectly circular hole where the hurricane had shot the trash can right down through the roof. 

So I am thinking of the people in the path of Katrina today– may you get through this safely and with minimal affect.  Don’t try to ride it out– even if you do so successfully the terror is not worth it.

Three alarm barbecue

Cooking in my house is nothing if not adventurous.  No, I don't mean trying out new and exotic dishes, I'm talking about smoke and fire and fear running rampant.  You may think I'm exaggerating but if you remember this from last year you see that I'm not.  July 4 was a typical outdoor barbecue in our house, right down to the blazing fire burning out of control in the gas grill.  My wife Sheri tells the story better than I so I'll just let her tell you.

Happy Father's Day!

If you live in a region where Father's Day is celebrated then I would like to wish you a very happy day. Actually, if you live in a country that doesn't recognize today as Father's Day I urge you to take this opportunity  to visit your Father or call him and tell him you appreciate all that he does.   I lost my Father last November and I wrote a tribute for him at that time and I felt it very appropriate to run this letter on this special day.

Goodbye to a great man

My father was one of those people who understood that to achieve greatness could only be done through maintaining strength of character in all that you do.  He instilled in his children the unerring credo that you must always do the right thing.  It doesn't matter if doing the right thing is difficult, or if doing the right thing is the popular thing to do.  What matters is you always stay true to your convictions, and your actions must be consistent with your beliefs.

My father was a very simple man.  Some people might say he was too simple in this world that is growing ever more complex.  But he understood that in everything there is a right way and a wrong way to do things and the only option is to do the right thing.  He once told me you build your reputation in the world by always taking the higher ground.  You build that reputation one positive action at a time and you are the only one who can tear that reputation down through your own actions.  Not your detractors, not your enemies, only you can tear your reputation down.  He once confided in me that he didn't understand why people didn't just treat others with respect and compassion.  He was continually confused by this fact so obvious to him but one that is often not followed by others.  It's a question I cannot answer, in fact I'm not sure there is an answer.

My father instilled in me a strong work ethic, for working as hard as you can is the only way to have no doubts about yourself at the end of the day.  He taught all his children to always help others, for some day we might need help ourselves and good deeds have a way of getting repaid when the time is right.  He taught us to be strong for those around us, but not to be afraid to bend when you have to.  He was a man that others knew they could depend on in their time of need.  He taught us that leading by example was the best way to be true to yourself, and to those around you. 

My father lived a hard life, but he took that in stride and did the best that he could with the cards he was dealt.  And in so doing, he taught us to do the same.  Don't cry about it, fix it was his philosophy, and it was a lesson hard learned, as important lessons often are.  He showed us that when you have troubles, the best course is often to set your own troubles aside and help those less fortunate than yourself.  Most importantly of all, he taught us that we are not the most important thing in the world.  Instead, the most important things were those around us.  He lived his life being there for the people that needed him, and those who knew and loved him will always thank him for that.

My father always led by example and to those of us fortunate enough to know him that example was a very good one.  He was not a man to get lost in the fluff of life, instead he believed you lay a solid foundation in the life that you have and then you build on that foundation until the structure is a good, strong structure.  You build your character one deed at a time until the structure defines the person behind it.  And then you open that structure up to your loved ones so that they might be protected by it too. 

My father was a great man.  He touched everyone around him in such a positive way.  He loved his family with a passion that was unquestioned, and he was proud of each of us in so many ways.  He is the reason that we have become the people we are today, and I thank him for that.  For I can think of no better thing in the world than to be the legacy of this man.  Thank you Dad for all that you've done.  Thank you Dad for showing us to always think of others.  Thank you Dad for all the examples you set for us.  And thank you Dad for being there for me when I needed you.  You are so missed but you live on in all those you have touched.

James Grady Kendrick

November 1, 1916 - November 21, 2004

I received upsetting news last night

I first encountered Mike on mobile tech community forums and we started off on shaky ground.  Our online relationship was contentious to say the least as we can both be rather, ah, opinionated when it comes to what we'd like to see in mobile technology.  Over the last few years I have gotten to know him pretty well, and I think it is safe to say we have a lot of mutual respect for one another.  I have come to enjoy email exchanges with Mike, and as I have gotten to know him better from afar I am still surprised about things he reveals about his life, although he does so very sparingly.  For example, I was amazed to find out he authored several best-selling computer books in the 1980's, books still sold on Amazon today.  I am not naming him because I am pretty sure he wouldn't want me to.  You are probably wondering why I am even posting this, I know I would.

I received this email last night, abrupt as his emails often are, and it has shaken me much more than I thought it would:

my sister is typing this... i had a heart attackon tuesday. bypass surgery is tomorrow. DO NOT REPLY TO THIS.. .IF I SURVIVE I WILL E-MAIL YOU.. the hospital does not have e-mail

This hit me doubly hard, not only because it is upsetting to hear something like this from a friend but also because (as long-time readers know) I experienced the exact same situation almost four years ago.  I once asked Mike if he had read my From the Heart chronicle I wrote about my experience and in typical fashion he responded "why the ?*#@ would I go to a tech blog and read personal crap?"   It still makes me smile.  Mike, I wish you well, get better soon, and get back to the mobile tech community soon.  I guarantee you will have a different perspective on things.

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day to all jkOTR readers and especially to my better half, Sheri.  That should be good for massive brownie points.  :)

A Sony U is on the way!

The biggest pleasure I get from working on jkOnTheRun is meeting all the good people who stop by and share their views about mobile technology.  This is what makes it so much fun for me and I always look forward to hearing what each commenter has to say.  Once in a while something happens that reaffirms for me the inherent goodness in people and makes me feel good about what I do.  A frequent visitor to jkOTR had a Sony U750P that he wasn't using very much and he is donating it to me so I can continue to write about them.  I would love to identify the donor but I do not have his permission so he will remain anonymous until I hear otherwise.  According to UPS I will have the Sony by the end of the week and I am just amazed at this selfless act.  Thank you so much.  I don't know what else to say.  Thank you.

Goodbye, Johnny Carson

Late night legend Johnny Carson passed away this morning at the age of 79.  He hadn't been on TV for a few years but he will long be remembered by his fans.  He spent 30 years on "The Tonight Show" but in my household it was known as The Johnny Carson Show.  Johnny had a particular place of importance with my siblings and I as it was a big rite of passage to reach the stage of maturity to be allowed to stay up and watch the show, at least the first part of it.  It is a sad day and my thoughts are with his family.

(via CNN)

Happy New Year from jkOnTheRun

I would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year from me to you.  As you take the time to reflect back on the past year and look forward to the new, may you remember fondly those who have shown acts of kindness toward you, have understanding for those who were less kind, and may every step you take in the new year leave the world a slightly better place.

Tsunami disaster relief

I haven't mentioned the terrible disaster in Southeast Asia but it has been on my mind as it has so many others.  There is a site that has collected links from many of the relief organizations that are collecting donations to help the poor folks in this region who are coping with a situation most of us cannot fathom.  Please help out if you can.

As terrible as this disaster is for those in the region it would be a good thing for us to remember that there are people in our own communities that need help every day of the year.  It is always wonderful to see the global community come together to help in a disaster such as this tsunami horror but let us also give thanks for what we have by helping others in our areas.  There are a lot of organizations in our own communities that need help all the time so after you give what you can to help out the disaster victims we see on the news, do not forget the local people who also need your help.  It doesn't have to be donations, if a few thousand people can spare just a few hours each month it can make a tremendous difference to people who can use the help.

No go for the CES trip

I have been asked by several people in the past few weeks if I would be attending the CES in January.  I had intended to try to go but due to the situation I wrote about earlier I won't be able to.  I was looking forward to meeting a lot of fine Tablet PC folks but maybe next year.   :(

I need your help!

I really did not want to do this but I have no choice.  You may not know but I have been an independent consultant for two years (not in the IT industry).  In 2003 and early 2004 I did a lot of work for a client who has not paid me.  This client owes me tens of thousands of dollars and I have been working with him to get paid.  This situation has put me in a tenable financial position for the past few months but after getting an agreement to get paid this week I thought we would be able to pull out of this hole.  Yesterday I was informed through his attorney he couldn't / wouldn't pay me and I would have to sue him to get the compensation I am owed for work done on his client's behalf.  This has left me in an extremely bad situation especially at this time of year.  I was so certain I would finally get paid by this company that this news has hit me in the gut.

After a sleepless night considering my options I am asking readers who enjoy what I do here (at my own expense) if you can please contribute something.  If you can contribute anything at all it will help.  You can make a donation through the PayPal button at the upper right of any page on the site. Thank you.

Posting scarce for a few days

I will not be making any posts for a few days as my father passed away this morning.  I'm still in shock at the news even though he has led a full life and just turned 88 a couple of weeks ago.  I just didn't want anyone to wonder why posting stopped for a little while.  Thanks for understanding.

Looking for a tech writer?

One thing starting jkOnTheRun has confirmed for me on a personal level is how passionate I am about writing about technology and how it can be applied to real world situations. I have come to realize what I suppose I always knew deep down that I really love writing. It provides so much pleasure and mental stimulation for me that it has transcended the mere hobby. I hope the articles here on jkOTR convey that passion to the readers and that you get even a fraction of the enjoyment reading them that I get from the writing.

I have been writing for various web sites and magazines for years on a voluntary basis and have covered all facets of technology for the mobile professional. Unfortunately, as much as I enjoy covering mobile tech the reality of financial obligations has reared its ugly head as it often does and I have reached a crossroads of sorts. For this reason I would like to make a serious run at writing full time. I believe I bring an interesting perspective in the technology articles I write and would be an asset to any tech related web sites or publications that might be looking for a fresh angle on technology issues. In additon to writing all of the content for this web site I am a contributing writer for Lockergnome, one of the biggest tech sites on the planet, and for PocketPC Tools, one of the largest web sites that covers Windows Mobile based devices. I have contributed reviews to The Gadgeteer and have numerous articles published by Pocket PC Magazine. So any group that is actively looking for a tech writer to produce regular articles or reviews please check out my bio and the list of published work in the sidebar to the right and email me so we can pursue it further.

I really enjoy writing about the technology that is evolving so rapidly and would like to do it for your publication. Thanks.

Step outside and smell the bloggers

Blogging has opened up the internet and the sharing of ideas and information in so many wonderful ways. There is nothing quite like hearing about a subject that you are passionate about from the point of view of the blogger. Great ideas are bandied about all the time and there are so many gems of information that I love to read and share the passion of the writer. The blogging phenomenon has grown so far beyond what anyone imagined when it first started. Well, maybe the first people who envisioned what blogging could become could see how far and wide it would grow and if so we are grateful for their clarity of vision.

The universe of blogs has grown so immense that it is a challenge for readers to keep up with it. Sure we all have our very favorite blogs that we don't want to miss but there are thousands more that we would like to experience if we had the time. Of course, that is where aggregators play such an important role for anyone who likes to follow so much information that is changing dynamically all the time. The blogosphere has become sort of like an inverse Wiki- information that is constantly being changed and added to. It's just not all in one place like a Wiki but is instead spread all over the globe. I can't imagine trying to keep track of all the subjects that interest me without the trusty aggregator. With a good aggregator that has been properly set up to your tastes you can literally follow hundreds or thousands of blogs. That is simply awesome.

There are many good aggregators available that can scour the web and pull the RSS feeds that keep us filled with the information we crave. I use Nick Bradbury's FeedDemon which I really like but there are a number of other good ones out there, some that cost and some that are free. There are also online aggregators like Bloglines which are very popular that do essentially the same scraping of sites and doling out the headlines that the author hopes will catch our attention. I also happily use PubSub to create special RSS feeds based on key phrases of interest and generate my own special feeds.

All of these great tools help me cover a staggering amount of internet ground in the search for stuff that interests me. Stuff that informs me about various subjects I am interested in hearing about. And stuff that friends and other people I respect have to say about whatever they might be writing about on a given day. This is truly a wonderful time in human history for the sharing and discussing of events that really do matter.

With all of this information being summarized and presented to me so I can zoom in on that nugget of an article I don't want to miss I have recently noticed an unpleasant side effect. I usually fire up FeedDemon several times a day when I have a few minutes to check for any new posts on the hundreds of web sites that I follow. I don't leave it up all the time like some people because I find I can be too easily distracted from doing real work. So I only use it when I have a few minutes free. I scan the feeds and quickly look at the new summaries for all the sites and then home in on the few that catch my eye. If the article summary looks promising I might click the link and go to the site to read the whole article. Some sites include the whole article in the RSS feed so I can read those posts completely in the aggregator in which case I don't have to visit their web site at all.

I have followed this routine for so long that it is second nature and the other night I realized something was missing from the experience. Sure, I was reading all this great information but it occurred to me I wasn't feeling the excitement I felt in the past when visiting my favorite web sites. I felt like the experience was missing something. So I thought about that for a little while and I closed my aggregator and fired up the web browser. I spent the next hour surfing the core sites that I really like and it was just great! I realized that each web site and blog has it's own unique flavor and my online trip reminded me of that fact.

Each blogger creates their site as a reflection of their personality and artistic ability. Some of the sites are amazing in the experience they create for the visitor. I was able to read all the posts on the front page, even the ones that would never catch my eye in the aggregator. It is the only way to really get the experience the blogger creates with all the articles they were driven to write in the first place. It was... fun. When was the last time that you felt browsing was actually fun. Not just informative or interesting- it was very enjoyable.

So when you're working through all those feeds with your aggregator might I suggest you step outside and smell the bloggers every once in a while. See their creation the way they intended and in the form they lovingly maintain for their visitors. I guarantee you will feel good about it.